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“It’s actually none of my business,” he said, though his tight tone betrayed that he wished it was. “If you want to pay for bottles of Dom Pérignon then that is entirely up to you. But if you ever want to talk about setting and enforcing boundaries with your people, feel free to give me a call.”
Wow. Mister Judgey McJudgeface.
It was rare for anyone outside of her small circle of staff and management to speak to her in such a way. Chloe was taken aback. “You are an arrogant son of a bitch, aren’t you?”
Her hand shot immediately to her mouth. She’d actually said what she was thinking. Her frazzled brain hadn’t seen the big red stop sign in time, and she had crashed straight through it.
Chloe couldn’t blame Jordan if he got up and left without paying the bill. In her world, guys didn’t like being called out on their self-importance. Especially not by women.
But instead, he burst out laughing. Jordan’s whole body shook. Chloe sat in stunned silence while her date helped himself to a long, rolling guffaw. She couldn’t quite decide whether it was at her expense or not. But it was still interesting to watch.
“Oh that is priceless. I can’t remember the last time I was put so firmly in my place. I deserved that,” said Jordan, wiping away a tear.
He grinned at her, his eyes still sparkling with mirth. “I’ve been behaving like a big-headed ass, one who has absolutely no right to be telling you what to do. You can blame my cousin Leon for my rude behavior. I’ve spent the past day engaged in a battle of egos with him and I forgot to dial things back with you.”
His laughter and apology had taken the heat out of the moment, but Chloe knew that Jordan believed what he’d said. She had no doubt about that. He disapproved of the way she let her people treat her.
He’s probably right. Of course he is, but I need them.
It was a pretty screwed up arrangement in anyone’s language for a major recording star to pay people to push her around. Oddly enough, Jordan was the first person to have actually called her out on it. And even he had backed off when she got defensive.
Jordan drained the rest of his cup of coffee. When he pushed his plate away, Chloe wondered what was about to come next. Most likely, he was going to call for the check, offer his polite farewells, and wish her all the very best with her future career. Like others before him, Jordan would take his leave of her, and not look back. Her team might not be the best people in the world, but at least they stayed.
Please don’t go. I just want a little of your time.
“Do you know Berlin well, Jordan? I hear it looks amazing at night. I’d love to go for a drive and see the Reichstag Building and the Brandenburg Gate when they are all lit up.”
Chloe hated the desperation in her voice, it left her wondering if she would ever stop reaching out to people this way. Like a puppy at a refuge center trying to find its forever home.
Jordan’s gaze shifted to her security detail. “Could we check with them first? I don’t want the Berlin Police having to deal with the mountain of paperwork that will drop on them if my lifeless body washes up on the banks of the River Spree tomorrow morning.”
Chloe snorted. He had a sense of humor. “The members of my protection team are good men, and they are also very discrete. I promise, no one will ever find your body.”
A grinning Jordan rose from the table. “Let me go and settle our bill, back in a minute.” He headed to the front counter of the café, while Chloe squared things with her bodyguards. She had just finished buttoning up her coat when Jordan reappeared at her side. “What hotel are you staying at?”
“The Berlin Hyatt.” She was a global pop star, which meant that her management wouldn’t have Chloe stay anywhere other than at a five-star major branded hotel. She liked the hotel. Her private suite was gorgeous, and the hotel service was impeccable.
Maybe she was playing it safe. In an historic city like Berlin there would be far more interesting and edgier hotels for her to stay in if she chose. But safety was something Chloe needed, something she craved.
As they headed toward the door, Chloe wrapped her scarf around her neck and adjusted the collar of her coat. She kept her gaze fixed firmly ahead, not looking at any of the other diners. Chloe loved her fans, but tonight, she wanted something else.
The limousine was waiting for them out on the street. Chloe’s bodyguards climbed into the front, while Chloe and Jordan slipped into the spacious, and private, rear passenger section.
Jordan took the seat next to Chloe. As the car pulled away from the curb he leaned in close. “I think we might have gotten off on the wrong foot. At the club and in the café, I made some pretty big and to be honest arrogant assumptions about you. That wasn’t fair.”
Chloe’s heart did a little dance of joy.He’s actually a nice guy.Jordan had more insight of his behavior than most guys she knew. LA was full of people who lived and died by thenever explain never apologizerule of law.
“I think we are both guilty of a bit of pre-judging. I certainly took points off your score for wearing your sunglasses on your head in a nightclub.”
He winced. “I’d forgotten they were there. Thank you for not calling the fashion police and having me placed in handcuffs.”
He has a self-depreciating sense of humor. I like it.
His fingers brushed over her hand and Chloe shivered. The musical soundtrack of their romance started up once more inside her head. She liked Jordan’s touch even more than his smile, especially when it lingered.
“I’m also seriously regretting giving you the “you’re a nice girl but ...’ line.”
Chloe laughed. He really was a nice guy. It had been such a long time since a man had been this close to her without it being in a professional capacity. Her stylist and bodyguards were the only other males permitted to lay their hands on her. And only when it was absolutely necessary. Even Foster rarely touched her, but then again, her manager hadn’t ever been one for displays of affection.
